Happy Release Day

Indigo Girls:

Live with the University of Colorado Symphony Orchestra

First Impressions

June 28^th 2018 10pm

Colin & Jonath

Jonath and I have been seeing shows together since 2005. The first was a festival in Camden, New Jersey and our most recent were last week in Kirkland and Seattle, WA. We’ve each seen their Symphony Show multiple times, though were lucky enough to both be in attendance in Portland, Oregon, March 2017, at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall.

            We’ve been anxious to hear the album’s production and mixing since some of the orchestral sounds have a tendency to be drowned out by guitar and vocals in the live performances (ex: the drums). However, the four singles that were released over the past month (Go, Galileo, Kid Fears, Closer To Fine) have all sounded amazingly well-balanced and we’re thrilled to hear the rest!

            My preorder packages should arrived soon! Though, thank you, Spotify, for launching the album a few hours before the official Release Day on the West Coast allowing Jonath and I to text “on a kind of a telephone line through time” about our first impressions last night!

Jonath: Album live on Spotify!!!!

Colin: OMG! I just tripped over my cat. Grabbing my computer!

Florence, South Carolina

Act I

Woodsong

            First of all, it has a newly formatted title! On both Swamp Ophelia and Staring Down The Brilliant Dream, it’s The Wood Song. Now, it has morphed into the magical Woodsong. Also, the first half of this album’s order was slightly rearranged from how the set was actually played that night. Moving Woodsong to the top feels like you’re walking through a garden foyer into the Symphony.  It’s a great opener. Classic! Though I miss Lyris’ intro, Emily’s voice starts this album off strong! The Orchestra starts quiet but gets crankin’ midway through.

Colin: I always sing, “The grass is always worth the rocky ride.” I know the real lyric, but I’ve been singing it like that since I was a kid so it always slips out.

Jonath: I have so many misheard lyrics… it doesn’t matter because the songs still make me feel so happy.

Sugar Tongue

            This song has consistently evolved over the years! I remember when the acoustic bootlegs of just Amy and her guitar started circulating through the fans. She even joked that she needed Tomi Martin to play the guitar solo! Then Sugar Tongue got the added band arrangement on Poseidon and the Bittterbug, with Emily nailing the solo on both the band and acoustic versions. The tour to support Poseidon was an acoustic tour with Julie Wolf on keys and accordion. Sugar Tongue got Wolf’d with 2 acoustic guitars and a key arrangement. Then it reached its glory with the Symphony arrangement - my favorite version. But just last week, Sugar Tongue came back to the set list, totally stripped down; Another new arrangement with Amy on the electric Gibson and Emily on acoustic 6-string! Amy forgot a chord and some lyrics, but I was blown away with the balance of both the simplicity and the force that the song encapsulated. At the Portland Zoo, she was able to redeem herself with a crystal clear copy.

Colin: This chorus is amazing! It’s one of my favorite parts of the entire live show. The guitars fade right out and the symphony hits ya in the face! But Kirkland with the fuck-ups may be my favorite live Sugar Tongue ever.

Jonath: She did a great job! Even with the hums!

Colin: I also feel like this song was made for a symphony. I wonder if Amy could hear them when she was writing it?

Able To Sing

First official live release!

            Usually, at a normal IG show, this song is tucked into the second half. It was actually played as the 9^th song at this show after Yoke, but was bumped up for the album. With the shiny orchestra intro, I feel like it certainly belongs near the beginning.

Jonath: I love the lyrics but it’s a bit too wordy and metaphorical to follow.
Colin: I thought I remember you saying the first time you heard this song was with the Seattle Symphony and you really loved the version?
Jonath: Hmmm… the song I told you about was Feed and Water The Horses! <3
Colin: Ohhh! Which is the one song that has a symphony arrangement song that didn’t make the cut in Colorado. I was hoping for an Atlanta Symphony soundboard bonus track!
Jonath: I know Emily loves Able To Sing.
Colin: It’s one of her favorite songs right now! Lately, she gushes over Lucy’s harmonies and recounts her memories of when she wrote it! She puts a whole political spin on it. #TruthIntoPower It’s taken a while to grow on me, though resonates more now than ever before. I remember when those damn birds fell out of the sky! At this point, it really brings me back.

            I’m certain they will play this with Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pop’s at the Hatch Shell on the Forth of July celebration. I’m devastated that I won’t be home for it. I’ve been waiting years for their moment with the Boston Pops – I could cry just thinking about it.

Compromise
First official live release!
 
Colin: Oh my god, Compromise! Awesome intro. Perfectly mixed with the acoustic nestled in the back.
Jonath: Amy is attacking it!
Colin: Each time I’ve seen this live, the symphonies have been tight and University of Colorado Symphony Orchestra is no different!
Jonath: It sounds foreboding AF, in millennial speak. All those deep winds!
Me: Yaaas!

Virginia Wolf

Colin: The transitions between songs have been quite nice.

Jonath: I’m in love with the beginning of Virginia Wolf. It holds a deep place in my heart.

Colin: It’s gorgeous! Another song I love Lyris in as well. She adds so much heart to VA Wolf, but the heart doesn’t get much more full than with a whole symphony orchestra! I’m loving the delicate strings in the back after the final, epic, “it’s alriiiiiight…”

Happy In The Sorrow Key

First official live release!

Colin: Intro strings kinda pick up where the last ones left off! Oh, urgent horns! I like the arrangement, though I remember it having more of an impact when we saw it live. The ending is solid! Aw, you can barely hear the “Thanks Y’all” at the end.

            This is another song that seems written for a symphony, and I am thrilled that One Lost Day is being represented! The Symphony even brings Jordan Brooke Hamlin’s ideas to a whole other level.

Power Of Two

Colin: Po2. I need to pee.

Jonath: LOL!  

Colin: Back! So pretty! Though I’ve heard stronger vocals on this tune before.

Jonath: That tambourine though….

Colin: I love the cascading harp and conga break down at 3:30 in Power of Two after “fool’s gold.”

Yoke

First official live release!

Jonath: I thought you were peeing through PO2?!

Me: I knew I had to get back to my seat before Yoke!

Jonath: Oh my god. The strings on Yoke! I’m living for this version!

Colin: The instrumental is epic! My head is spinning! I’m gonna have to listen on headphone later to hear it all. It’s like a mystical forest!

Jonath: I know right?! It’s SO good!

Colin: Commercial

Jonath: ::Eye roll:: ...commercialism.

Love Of Our Lives

Colin: I want the strings louder in the intro.

Jonath: Me too! I love the orchestration but it sounds a little muddy.

Me: Where the fuck did the snare drum come from?! I don’t remember that live!

Jonath: Vocals sounded like they were underwater in the third verse.

Me: They were honest about dubbing some vocals. We may be hearing true vocals and enhanced vocals.

Jonath: Oh, that makes sense!

Colin: Oh no! Emily’s voice cracked at the most important part: “how can we help it…”, and then she ran out of breath for the final long note: “…liiiiiiiiiiiives!” L.O.L. opened the show that night, but now I understand why it got bumped further into the set for the album. : /

World Falls

Jonath: World Falls always makes me melt - no matter what version.

Colin: This version is perfect.

Jonath: I honestly would have been in love with a completely studio produced orchestral album. Sure, it would have cost more but it would have been amazing. They spent all the work making arrangements, why not?!

Colin: Agreed. Tori did it!

Galileo

Jonath: I’m loving the Caribbean vibe!

Me: I’ve really been enjoying this version since it came out last month. I could never get sick of this song, though.

Jonath: Each time I hear this song and Closer to Fine, I hear them again for the first time and am in awe.

Me: The symphony sounds so intricate! It pulls out so many layered elements of this song!

Chickenman

Jonath: Eek! That pushing orchestral rhythm!

Me: Do they do Bitterroot here?

Jonath: I dunno… its 7:45… so it could go either way?

Me: I love the high note horns! This is so good!

Jonath: Better than 1200 Curfews? I feel like it’s a bit milder than 1200 Curfews - the vocals away.

Me: Ohh. That’s a hard one. Less yelling here. They didn’t bend “Queen Streeeeet.”

Jonath: Maybe the yelling is just engrained in me!

Me: These horns make me feel like I’m riding a horse through the Wild West!

Jonath: Definitely getting a Wild West Fantasy mixed with Disney Orchestral arrangement. Is that insulting?

Me: No! Not insulting at all! I love all that!

Jonath: 6:10; the build up!

Me: The last “Chickenman, hold my hand” is pretty on point!

Emily: “We’re gonna take a little break. Ya’ll are incredible.

Toronto

Act II

Fugitive

Me: Oh my god, Fugitive is next! Shit! Commercial!

Jonath: You’re making me pause for one of my faves?! (Jonath is lucky enough to NOT have commercials!)

Colin: No one stands between me and my Fugitive, Sonic Care!

Jonath: Go away, Sonic Care!

Colin: Oh man! You can hear the symphony warming up! The entire 42-second intro is perfect. I already started it over to listen again! Amy’s voice is so rich!

Jonath: <3 “It’s coming to you, the lesson’s you’ve learned! We are fortunate ones, I swear!”

Me: It’s like the horns are singing back and forth to each other.

Jonath: I can’t tell you how much this song means to me.

Me: Ditto.

Come A Long Way

First official live release!

Jonath: Hee hee. Whose name?!

Me: God.

Jonath: Yup.

Colin: Though I feel like it could also be about someone who supports you through a really, really tough time, one day at a time.

Jonath: That feels more real to me, but I also think its easy to mix up God with someone in your life who helped you.

Me: So True!

Jonath: I mean, they can be the same thing, but God as a blanket term is erasing the humanity and connection of community. It’s important to see God in everything but also to recognize the power we each have individually to affect one another.

Colin: <3 Agreed! “…there is no nation by god exempted. Lay down your weapons and love your neighbor as yourself.” Whoa! 3:25 until the end is amazing! I listened 3 times!

Jonath: ::cymbal crash::

Colin: And the bend of Emily’s notes! And the orchestral steps that add the pounding drama! Theatrical!

War Rugs

First official live release!

Jonath: Not my favorite Indigo song.

Colin: I love it! The melody is captivatingly beautiful I’ve been so excited to hear the xylophone. Oh, Amy speaks! Staring Down The Brilliant Dream lacked spoken song intros. Very nice touch.

Amy: “We want to send this out to all the people in the Middle East who are working so hard for peace and helping all the people who are being hurt so brutally out there.”

Colin: I get some mariachi vibes after the final instrumental break. I feel like Amy is singing the last chorus a bit deeper than she does on the album.

Mystery

Jonath: “I could go crazy on a night like tonight.”

Colin: Great balance between guitar and symphony in the intro! This is gorgeous. Now, this could be better than 1200 Curfews!

Damo

First official live release!

Colin: I love the urgency!

Jonath: I’ve always loved Damo. It’s one of those songs that constantly pushes you forward and doesn’t let you settle.

Me: I hear tambourine!

Jonath: Don’t say that. I don’t want to hear it.

Colin: The cowboys are coming home in the end of this one too! I love the Orchestra version ending! It’s such a slap. AH, my apartment lights are even flickering!

Come On Home

Jonath: WTF?! Is this Come On Home?

Me: To me, ATWLI version Come On Home always sounded like it had more of a supplemental beat track than a full arrangement. I love the SDTBD version the best, but it sounds like a whole new song with the orchestra!

Jonath: I’m in shock. And now I want to hear “bring out your dead.” I mean, Rise Up.

Colin: LMAO

Kids Fears

Colin: This was also already released. Rich and dark. I love this version. But nothing beats Trina Meade’s verse.

Jonath: The people singing in the back! The harp!

Colin: The whining of the symphony is gorgeous! 

Ghost

Colin: Ohh, floaty!

Jonath: Floaty and melty. Ghost has always been a fave of mine. I’m glad it turned out so well.

Colin: It’s perfect. The high notes in the middle of the song are haunting! I got chills!

Jonath: The orchestral / vocal mix is brilliant!

Go

            Go is one of Amy’s favorite songs right now, which has given it such a renewed energy! She’s been sending it out to the youth who can make a change every night on this current tour, and it was precious to see the kids in her family dance to the song during Sound Check at the Seattle Zoo last week!

            This version is awesome Go was an immediate favorite when it came out last month. The first several times I listened to it, I heard something new each time! I hear so many genres in it. Rock, Marching Band (that instrumental break is fucking epic), and then it cascades into Mariachi for the bridge! Emily tears it up on electric and then we’re back to the high school football field in the background. Amy’s vocals boom crystal clear into a classic symphony final crescendo!

Closer To Fine

            Bouncy and fun! I get a little frantic Disney from this one too! But why are the vocals so far away when they speak to the crowd at the end? Emily introduces the conductor but unfortunately, you can barely hear his name (Gary Lewis). I love the extended applause that fades the Indigo Fantasia out.

Amy Ray, Emily Salier, Gary Lewis & The U of Colorado Symphony Orchestra

            I still think these Symphony shows could end with an encore of Land Of Canaan as an acoustic duo! Give the crowd what they want - they always want more!

Giddy Up!

“…There’s more than one answer to these questions, pointing us in a crooked line…”

            Most everyone knows the song, Closer To Fine by the Indigo Girls. It’s been around longer than I have. Over the decades, Amy and Emily’s harmonies have evolved, but their love stories and messages of social justice remain consistent.

            For sixteen years, I’ve been lucky enough to attend countless Indigo experiences. Rock concerts, festivals appearances, fundraisers, radio shows, and solo endeavors. Last night’s show was a full length acoustic set at the Kirkland Performance Center in Kirkland, Washington with a small capacity of 400. Having only been once before, I had forgotten that the tiny auditorium’s sound is as crisp as morning light.

            Here is my run down of the show:

1. Fill It Up Again - Amy and Emily came out on their guitars and we’re greeted with Hawaiian leis. I missed the connection, but the flowers smelled beautiful from were I was sitting in the third row. “Better than I was smellin,” Amy said! Haha!

            Lucy Wainright Roche sang back-up on almost every song filling in the sweetness that Emily’s voice carried in the ’90’s.

2. Devotion - This song always feels like it belongs in the beginning of the show.

3. Power Of Two - Too early to pee.

4. Dairy Queen - So exciting! It’s been a while since I’ve seen this song and the suck-n-blow harmonica was back! People actually laughed at the first line “I heard that you were drunk and mean down at Dairy Queen” like they did when it first came out in 2003!

5. Elizabeth - Emily told us that she had flown to New York last night to see Jojo, who was a young singer from the early 2000’s. I guess Jojo fell victim to the music industry and had to lay dormant for years, but now she is back and Emily was very excited to support her. However, she acknowledged her jet lag looniness and joked, “Thats why you shouldn’t fly in the day of the show, but it’s more fun this way!”

6. Spread the Pain Around (aka Keg-o-wine) - Breathtaking. The sound in this venue is superb. After the song, Amy said, “Whenever I sing this in Seattle, I think of Eddie Vedder and Pearl Jam since I used the phrase “better man.” Then they bantered about how easy it is to rip off songs, but whenever they finally realize it in the writing process, they drop the song all together. Perfect segue into mentioning they are working on their new album. No details, but Emily mentioned she was working on a song she was really diggin, but realized it was the same song she had written the week before!

7. Get Out The Map - when the chorus came its like the entire audience had been holding in one collective sneeze that they were dying to get out like an explosive choir. This seemed like the crowd favorite of the entire night. You could tell that the ‘Girls were impressed with the crowd’s singing once everyone opened up for the rest of the show.

“…With every lesson learned a line upon your beautiful face

We’ll amuse ourselves one day with these memories we’ll trace

Get out the map, and lay your finger anywhere down…”

8. Three Hits - After the song, someone in the crowd yelled out “The John Song!” in reference to John, from the album, Beauty Queen Sister.

Emily: “Thats a good one! I should relearn it…… You said, John, right?”

Girl: “Yes! He’s here!”

Emily: …… words can’t describe the look on her face…..

Relieved Emily: “ Oh, you mean, a John is here?!

Girl: “YEA!”

Emily: Oof, you can’t do that to me, I take things very literally, and need time to process what I’m told. I was like… ‘no, that’s impossible!”

            She was legit shook.

9. Able to Sing - Emily introduced this song as her political song. She explained the nursery rhyme reference, she sang the ‘4 and 20 Blackbirds’ song and related the birds to singing to the king for a change. “Truth into power,” she said!

10. Slo-Go - Since the symphony arrangement of Go, it’s very tame these days, but I loved that even though Amy was on her acoustic, Emily tore it up on Electric! This also may have been the first time we got some spit action from Amy.

11. Watershed - Did I mention how great the sound was in this place?!

12. Second Time Around - As Amy is grabbing the harmonica for this song, she introduced their new guitar tech, Jerry.

Amy: “He’s got a sprained left shoulder.”

Crowd: “Ohhhh…”

Amy: “I know. I think he was playing some bat game at the baseball game with his kid between the 7th and 8th inning. What was it? Chase the bat? I dunno, some traditional Texas game.”

Jerry: not responding.

Emily: “He’s focused on tuning.”

Amy: “Haha! Not listening! Anyway, he’s being a trooper. Must be the pain pills.”

Crowd laughs.

Amy: “I mean, he was holding it funny earlier, but now he seems fine.”

Crowd laughs.

Amy: “I shouldn’t make jokes about that….. I just can’t help myself.”

Crowd laughs.

Amy tunes her mandolin: “I almost hear it”

It’s not in tune. She shakes her head and exclaims: “Ah, Jerry!!!”

And from the side of the stage Jerry yells, “It’s the drugs!”

13. It’s Alright. Always one of my faves.

14. Sugar Tongue. This was my favorite part of the night. The song has another new arrangement with Amy on electric guitar and Emily on acoustic. You can tell they don’t have it flushed out yet though because Amy forgot some words and had to hum along. “I was so shocked I hit those high notes, I just forgot what I was doing!” She apologized after. Emily chirped that when those moments happen, they always go by so fast! This also may have been where the running joke of the night started - Emily was sassy and kept saying that things weren’t competitive, with a sly look in her eye that said otherwise. It came up twice and her timing was just hilarious!

15. Hope Alone. A shock and truly amazing! And Amy was on her 12 string guitar!

16. Shame On You. During the guitar handoff before the song, I hear Emily say to Jerry, “This is the one with the switch. Can you remember that?” She said it a few times, then joked into the mic that they were working on their logistics. When Jerry switched out Emily’s banjo for her electric guitar midway through the song, Amy yelled out, “Jerry’s big moment!!!” The crowd went nuts.

17. Hammond Song. Written by Lucy’s mom, the three-part harmony with her and the ‘Girls always gets me.

18. Jesus Was a Walkin’ Man. New Amy solo song from her upcoming album! Gospel, political, blunt, and with reference to “the wall”, it was well received, and people even clapped on beat.

19. Galileo.

Encore:

20. Share The Moon.

21. Closer To Fine.

            Awesome set. My expectations have already been exceeded and this was only night 1 of 4! I also managed to get in a song request after the show. So send it up to the song Goddesses and maybe I’ll hear Point Hope for the first time this week!

            I wouldn’t be who I am today without Amy Ray and Emily Saliers. They have continued to inspire me and lead me in all the right direct

Paul Simon's Homeward Bound: The Farewell Tour

Paul Simon’s Graceland was released just a year before I was born, and I’m sure I was just days old the first time I heard it. Though I have clearer memories from ten years later when he released Songs from the Capeman, containing Paul’s own performances of the songs he wrote for his musical, The Capeman, a commercial bust that ended up losing money. But for my young ears, the explicit lyrics were intriguing, full of slang I didn’t yet know, and the layered doo-wop vibes, rock ’n’ roll, and Puerto Rican rhythms transported me to a different world.

Now, at 31 years old, I had the immense honor of breathing the same air as Paul Simon, inside the Moda Center (formally the Rose Quarter Arena) in Portland, Oregon. In a deep purple suit jacket, he welcomed the screaming fans to his Homeward Bound: The Farewell Tour!

“About that last part,” he said, “The ‘farewell’ bit…” the crowd yelled their appreciations, “I lied!” he admitted!

Loving the reaction from the fans, Paul continued, “I said it to boost ticket sales!” He looked around, spread his arms wide and continued, “And look! It worked!” Another roar from the crowd - this time laughter. Paul assured us that he’s not going to stop writing or recording music, and confirmed he’s not saying he will never play live again. He said he is most excited for the unknown of what-to-do-next, not wanting to repeat anything he’s done before.

Appropriately timed, Paul’s next album will be a Rarities Collection of song demos spanning his entire career. A bridge, I suppose, into what I guess now will be considered his “later years.”

Though, at 75 years old, the guy has still got it going on. Voice smooth as ever, and never loosing his breath, he had some pretty quick feet and slick dance moves. I’m not even making it up! He must be watching Justin Timberlake videos on Youtube. Though through most of the show, he stood at the head of the stage playing his 6 string acoustics, or his electric, or his 12 string acoustic guitar. He conducted his 15 (or so) piece ensemble with his hands in the air as if they floated outside a car window on a long highway drive.

I was hoping for some songs from 2000’s You’re The One, including Darling Lorraine, or Old. He didn’t play those two, but it was okay because instead, we got 27 songs spanning his entire career in almost 3 hours. Paul opened the night with a goosebump inducing, America, straight into 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover. Songs like That Was Your Mother as well as Mother and Child Reunion were brought to life with a reggae edge and a Big Easy bounce. Though it was Rewrite I ended up with stuck in my head the entire next day.

“Any requests?” Paul asked. A wave of song titles were thrown at him starting from the stage, screaming all the way back from the 300 section where we were seated. Paul put his hands up, palms out. The crowd continued their pleas. Paul shook his head, and eventually quieted the crowd…

“I don’t do requests.” He says and launches into the next song.

My request would have been Wristband, from Paul’s last album, Stranger To Stranger. When it was released in 2016, I listened to the album for about 6 months straight, hearing something new almost every time. A true masterpiece.

Regardless of what he was about to play next, I felt so grateful to have the opportunity to watch the legendary Paul Simon, live in action, rocking the songs I’ve been listening to my entire life. My friend, Molly and I sang along with Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard, though it was the group yMusic, a sextet chamber ensemble from New York City that stole middle of the show. We were familiar with yMusic from their extensive work with Ben Folds on his 2015 album, So There as well as The Staves’ 2017 album, The Way is Read. What a fucking treat to see them in action!

Paul created an intimate moment with yMusic, standing in the middle of their semi circle to sing a moving version of Rene and Georgette Magritte with their Dog After the War and the most epic version of Can’t Run But from the album, The Rhythm of Saints, changing the xylophones out for a riveting string arrangement.

Paul laughed as he told the story of his strangest titled song ever, Rene and Georgette Magritte... My friend, Angela, retold the story on social media:

“He tells about the time he was asked to play the Bread and Roses Festival in Northern California (this was in 1981, I looked it up), and he’s hanging out at Joan Baez’s house because they needed to rehearse a song they were going to perform together (The Boxer, I looked that up, too). Joan had to take a phone call, so — side note: in the course of my research, I learned that Joan Baez’s father invented the x-ray microscope. Just over here casually changing the course of history, the Baezes. anyway — So Joan Baez gets a phone call and leaves the room, and Paul Simon sees a book of the painter René Magritte, ‘who I admired, and still admire,’ on her bookshelf and starts flipping through it.

He stops on an image captioned, ‘Rene and Georgette Magritte with their dog after the war,’ and he says to himself, ‘Man, that’d be a great name for a song.’

You know, the thing about Paul Simon is that there is no hint of a guy trying to recapture glory days or relive some former incarnation of himself. Seeing some older performers can feel that way. The heyday gone, the magic mostly over.

If anything, here the magic is bigger and more present. More rooted. More real. More epic. Paul Simon is not trying to be anything. Paul Simon just is. I mean, he’s Paul Fucking Simon. You know? He’s just casually the greatest.

I cried straight through ‘Rene and Georgette Magritte.’ I knew I would, even before he finished telling the story, because it got me right. there.” Here is a video from the Vancouver show!

 

Their photo was shown on the screen at the end of the song, and I must admit, I teared up as well. It is quite cool that he gets to take Rene and Georgette on tour with him after all these years. Paul also remembered that once he settled on the song title, he knew he had to write something “as obscure as René’s paintings.” So he thought back to his favorite 50’s R&B bands and layered vocals in the studio, “narrowing the targeted audience down to about 175 people,” he joked.

“The Penguins

The Moonglows

The Orioles

and The Five Satins

For now and ever after

As it was before

René and Georgette Magritte

With their dog

After the war”

After the absolutely gripping Can’t Run But, yMusic and Paul’s band settled back into their spots to play my telepathic request, Wristband! Now, the Portland show was only the third show of the tour, and Wristband had not yet been played! I feel like there is a lesson here, like, ‘silence is louder than impatience.’

It was worth the wait and after a couple more songs, an instrumental version of Si and G-funk’s El Condor Pasa (If I Could) sent chills through the venue and pivoted the tone of the show. Midway through an 8 minute version of The Cool, Cool River, Paul forgot his lyrics and requested a prompt from the band, “Anyone know the words?!” Picking up where he left off, the song was set on fire and burned smooth to the finish. Though Paul wasn’t impressed with himself. “Because I made a mistake and forgot the lyrics to that song, I’m going to penalize myself. I’m going to sing one of my songs that I loathe. Just bring me my six string!” Speaking to the band he says, “Guy’s if you don’t want to play, you don’t have to.”

“Okay, this will teach me, because I just, I hate this song.” Before he started plicking at the strings, I wondered if this was all part of the show, but it really seems as though the band isn’t quite sure what’s about to happen…

“Slow down, you move too fast

You got to make the morning last

Just kicking down the cobble stones

Looking for fun and feelin' groovy”

THIS ARTICLE actually picked up my Youtube video this morning and created a whole story. Not my intention, but it's out there now!

The main set ended back on track with Diamonds of the Soles, and Call Me Al. With every familiar song, a reminder the show was far from over, even when he left the stage for the first of… THREE encores! It just. kept. going. And I never wanted it to stop.

Classics like Kodachrome, Mrs Robinson, Still Crazy, Graceland, and the Boxer were scattered over the first two encores. I thought the multiple encores was a genius idea. If I were Paul, I’d want a water break, a pee break, and a sit break after the 2 hour mark too! Homeward Bound was another standout - perhaps my most anticipated song of the night. Full of nostalgia, choked up and wide eyed, this song brought me back to long weekend drives with my Dad through Leominster, Massachusetts, up to Trap Falls, listening to Paul’s Homeward Bound, the Indigo Girls’ World Falls, or Joni Mitchell’s You Turn Me On, I’m A Radio. Indigo actually went on to record their own version of Homeward Bound with Alison Brown in 2005.

The main set ended with Late in the Evening. They say you always want to keep them wanting more. And we did. Just Paul and his guitar for the final two songs of the night. He spoke about Half Earth Foundation, created by E. O. Wilson, who said, “If we take care of the planet, by the next century we could be living in paradise.” In his book, he lays out a plan to save our planet. Paul told us that all the proceeds from his last tour went to the Ed Wilson foundation and encouraged us to save endangered species and ecosystems. He played an acoustic, Questions for the Angels. Then, without skipping a beat, he bid us adieu with a haunting version of The Sound of Silence.

My friend Angela weighed in on the show’s finale, 2 nights before in Vancouver, BC:

“He started: ‘You know, we live in a weird time. I’ve been thinking about… well, all the same things all of you are thinking about. Racism. Sexism. Gender issues. Equality. About the difference between a free society and an authoritarian one. Hmm… am I allowed to talk this much?’ (crowd wildly asserts that Paul Simon can talk as much as he wants.)

And he continued: ‘There were 3.5 billion humans on the planet when I was a kid. There are 7 billion now. It’s projected to grow to 9 billion soon. So actually, despite everything, we’re thriving. Humans are thriving. Whether that’s a good or a bad thing, I don’t know, but… well, anyway, we are thriving. And for the younger people in the room, especially: If we don’t take care of the planet, all our other problems and struggles will be moot anyway.’

Throughout the night, I kept wondering, with such a beloved songbook of material to choose form, what the final song was going to be.

I’m not sure, now, how I thought it could be anything other than The Sound of Silence. ’This is incredible. This is the best version of this song that I’ve ever heard,’ I said.

And then, like that, it was over. So many songs. I could’ve listened to an easy three dozen more.

His parting words, after the bows, the guitar handoff, and right before leaving the stage: ‘I learned this saying once when I did a tour in Spain. It’s this: ‘We’re not mountains, so we’ll meet again."